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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

Forested Landscapes in Perspective

Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests

Committee on Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests

Board on Agriculture

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1998

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20418

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. In preparing its report, the committee invited people with different perspectives to present their views. Such invitation does not imply endorsement of those views.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. This study was supported by the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No 53-3187-5-11.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Forested landscapes in perspective : prospects and opportunities for sustainable management of America's nonfederal forests / Committee on Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests, Board on Agriculture, National Research Council.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-309-05641-1 (cloth)

1. Forest policy—United States. 2. Forests and forestry—Economic aspects—United States. 3. Forest management—United States. 4. Sustainable forestry—United States. 5. Investments, American—United States. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests.

SD565 .F568 1997

333.75'0973—ddc21

98-9017

CIP

Cover art: Fog © Anne Kilham, Rockport, ME. Distributed by Pen & Inc. of Concord, NH. Used with permission.

Additional copies of this report are available from National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, D.C. 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.

Printed in the United States of America.

Copyright 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

Committee on Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests

PAUL V. ELLEFSON, Chair,

University of Minnesota, St. Paul

JAMES K. AGEE,

University of Washington, Seattle

KEITH A. ARGOW,

National Woodland Owners Association, Vienna, Virginia

JEANNE N. CLARKE,

University of Arizona, Tucson

PRESTON D. COLE,

City Forestry Services, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

DOMINICK A. DELLASALA,

World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C.

HENRY GHOLZ,

University of Florida, Gainesville

J. KEITH GILLESS,

University of California, Berkeley

PERRY R. HAGENSTEIN,

Institute for Forest Analysis, Planning, and Policy, Wayland, Massachusetts

NEIL D. HAMILTON,

Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa

JAMES E. HUBBARD,

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

KEITH ROSS,

New England Forestry Foundation, Groton, Massachusetts

JOHN T. SHANNON,

Arkansas Forestry Commission, Little Rock

RONALD L. TROSPER,

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff

Staff

CHARLOTTE KIRK BAER, Project Director

ERIC A. FISCHER, Project Director*

SHIRLEY B. THATCHER, Senior Project Assistant

JULIEMARIE GOUPIL, Project Assistant

*  

Through December 1996.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

Board on Agriculture

DALE E. BAUMAN, Chair,

Cornell University

JOHN M. ANTLE,

Montana State University

MAY R. BERENBAUM,

University of Illinois

LEONARD S. BULL,

North Carolina State University

WILLIAM B. DELAUDER,

Delaware State College

RICHARD R. HARWOOD,

Michigan State University

T. KENT KIRK,

University of Wisconsin

GEORGE E. SEIDEL, JR.,

Colorado State University

SANDRA S. BATIE,

Michigan State University

ANTHONY S. EARL,

Quarles & Brady Law Firm

ESSEX E. FINNEY, JR.,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

CORNELIA FLORA,

Iowa State University

GEORGE R. HALLBERG,

University of Iowa

HARLEY W. MOON,

Iowa State University

WILLIAM L. OGREN,

University of Illinois

JOHN W. SUTTIE,

University of Wisconsin

JAMES J. ZUICHES,

Washington State University

Staff

J. PAUL GILMAN, Executive Director

MICHAEL J. PHILLIPS, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

Preface

Forests are an important part of everyday life for most Americans. They provide timber, soil, wildlife, recreation, beauty, and relief within rural and urban environments. An issue of increasing concern is the management of forestlands for diverse objectives, including economic returns, biological and ecological integrity of forest resources, and quality of life for populations in rural and urban areas. Thoughtful management of forests is clearly becoming crucial to achieving multifaceted goals and ensuring a productive future for forests.

Traditionally, forestlands in the United States have been categorized as forests owned by the government (public) and forests that are privately owned. The focus of this report is nonfederal forests, or those forests owned by industrial private landowners, nonindustrial private landowners, Native Americans, and state and locally owned forestlands. The issues addressed in this report are primarily those of private forests and private forestland owners, with special attention to nonindustrial private forests and nonindustrial private forestland owners.

At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service, the National Research Council's Board on Agriculture convened a 14-member Committee on Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests to assess the status of the nation's nonfederal forests and to examine the role of the federal government in contributing to sustainable management of nonfederal forestlands. This study responds to the recognized need for evaluating the current programs and policies directed toward the nation's nonfederal forests and integrates information on the management and use of nonfederal forests while accounting for trends in ownership, location, composition, and condition of forestlands.

The committee began its work in March 1996, seeking to understand the overarching industrial, environmental, social, programmatic, and policy contexts of nonfederal forest management. Issues were analyzed by bringing together views of experts in the general areas of forest policy and private land ownership as well as those of environmental, ecological, economic, legal, and social sciences. Throughout the course of this study, a close examination of the relationship between forest management issues and public needs was carried out through the conduct of public forums held in several regions of the United States. Invitations were extended for submission of written comments to the committee; responses were received from representatives of the forest industry, Native Americans, environmental organizations, consulting foresters, federal, state, and local

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

governments, nonindustrial private landowners, and concerned citizens of all contiguous states and Hawaii and Alaska.

This report, Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests, might make its most significant contribution by bringing to light those issues related to private forestland inventory, ownership, and management that have gone unrecognized and that deserve attention today. The information contained in this report improves the knowledge base for directing the role of the federal government in nonfederal forest management. In addition, the report articulates issues for consideration regarding a policy for our nation's forests, options for improving sustainable management of nonfederal forests, and recognizes a variety of approaches for a federal role in sustainable management of nonfederal forestlands.

As a basis for the committee's deliberations, several aspects relevant to its task are defined. Part One of the report focuses on concepts of sustainability, which are presented in Chapter 1. In Part Two, general descriptions of the U.S. forest landscape are provided. The overall status and characteristics of the nation's nonfederal forests are reviewed in Chapter 2. Benefits and values that are attributable to forests in the United States are outlined in Chapter 3. Current policies and programs directed at America's nonfederal forests are described and defined in Chapter 4. Part Three of the report begins with a detailed analysis of the ecological aspects of nonfederal forest management presented in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 examines public and private institutions and their role in nonfederal forest management. Current programs and policies, including education, management, technical assistance, tax policies, regulatory programs, and various incentives that affect nonfederal forests, are described in Chapter 7. A discussion of public and private investments in nonfederal forests is provided in Chapter 8. Information needs with regard to research, monitoring, and technology transfer are outlined in Chapter 9. In Chapter 10, resource owner responsibilities and rights are addressed. In the final chapter of the report, management of U.S. nonfederal forestland in an international and global context is discussed.

Throughout the report, the committee focused on emerging environmental issues such as forest fragmentation and biodiversity as well as other prominent issues such as the availability of timber supplies. Particular attention was given to current program and policy initiatives, the institutional setting within which they are pursued, and the information base for evaluating effectiveness and deficiencies. This information was used as the basis for evaluating ways in which the federal role might be modified to meet emerging needs and issues.

The context for this evaluation the apparently ever-growing demand for the goods and services provided by nonfederal forests on the one hand, and limited federal and state budgets, and a political climate that favors reduction of government spending on the other. Emerging issues, such as global climate change and threats to biodiversity, for which nonfederal forests may help provide solutions, lack the immediacy of the wildfires that did much to galvanize support for the

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

federal role in nonfederal forests. The committee hopes that this report stimulates action for improved, coordinated partnerships between public and private interests in the management of these forests.

The recommendations provided by the committee in this report are the result of many hours of careful listening, coordinated planning, painstaking analyses, thoughtful deliberations, cooperative efforts, and a continuous flow and exchange of resourceful ideas. The wish of the committee, whose membership is as diverse as the issues related to nonfederal forests, is that these recommendations will be implemented in the manner and spirit in which they were developed.

Paul Ellefson, Chair

Committee on Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the many people who provided information and insight to the committee by participating in the regional public forums held in conjunction with this study during the spring of 1996. The wealth of input received from a vast array of stakeholders at these public forums assisted the committee in shaping its views and preparing the recommendations presented in this report.

The committee also expresses thanks to those who took time from their busy schedules to attend various committee meetings. We offer our gratitude to the following invited speakers who shared their expertise and experience at these meetings:

Oluf Aalde
Royal Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture
Oslo, Norway

Thomas Birch
USDA Forest Service
United States Department of Agriculture

Joan Comanor
Natural Resources Conservation Service
United States Department of Agriculture

Charles H. W. Foster
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Needham, Massachusetts

Jan Heino
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Helsinki, Finland

David Kittredge
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management
University of Massachusetts

Thomas Larson
Integrated Urban Forestry, Inc.
Laguna Hills, California

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

Robert Moulton
USDA Forest Service
United States Department of Agriculture

Eric Oldar
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

David Perry
Oregon State University

Jeffrey Romm
University of California

Gerald Rose
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
St. Paul, Minnesota

Henry Swan
Wagner Forest Management Ltd.
Lyme, New Hampshire

Courtland Washburn
Hancock Timber Resource Group
John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company

It is with most sincere appreciation that we acknowledge the outstanding contribution and wealth of information provided to the committee by Donald G. MacKay, Research Associate, Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota. Without his efforts, the work of this committee would not have been possible.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

PART THREE:
MAJOR POLICY AND PROGRAM LEVEL ISSUES ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE

 

 

5

 

CHANGING CONDITIONS OF THE FOREST

 

57

   

Introduction

 

57

   

Issues Involving Forest Condition

 

57

   

Biodiversity

 

57

   

Forest Fragmentation and Habit Isolation

 

59

   

Rare and Endangered Species Habitat

 

60

   

Forest Management Intensity

 

61

   

Forest Fires

 

64

   

Air Pollution

 

65

   

Carbon Sequestration

 

67

   

Forest Insects and Diseases

 

68

   

Alien Plants

 

69

   

Watershed Integrity

 

70

   

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

 

71

6

 

INVESTMENTS FOR BETTER INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

 

72

   

Introduction

 

72

   

National Policy for Nonfederal Forests

 

72

   

National Focus and Strategic Direction

 

74

   

Organization Within the Federal Government

 

76

   

Major Reviews

 

76

   

Federal Leadership

 

79

   

Improving Federal Organization

 

79

   

Linkages Between Federal and Nonfederal Entities

 

82

   

Federal Linkages

 

82

   

State Organization

 

84

   

Improving Federal Linkages to Nonfederal Interests

 

84

   

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

 

88

7

 

POLICY AND PROGRAM INVESTMENTS

 

90

   

Introduction

 

90

   

Governmental Initiatives

 

90

   

Private and Voluntary Initiatives

 

91

   

Forest-Industry-Initiatives

 

91

   

Nonprofit-Organization-Initiatives

 

93

   

Forestry-Consultant Initiatives

 

94

   

Volunteer Efforts

 

94

   

Certified Forest Practices

 

95

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×
   

Education and Technical Assistance

 

96

   

Education and Information

 

96

   

Technical Assistance

 

97

   

Fiscal and Tax Incentives

 

98

   

Fiscal Incentives

 

98

   

Tax Incentives

 

99

   

Estate Taxes

 

99

   

Capital Gains Tax

 

100

   

Management Cost Deductions

 

100

   

Reforestation Investment Tax Incentive

 

101

   

State Tax Policies

 

101

   

Regulatory Programs

 

102

   

Federal Regulatory Initiatives

 

103

   

State and Local Initiatives

 

104

   

Program Coordination

 

104

   

Federal Regulatory Role

 

104

   

Regulatory Program Issues

 

105

   

Easements and Rental Agreements

 

105

   

Conservation Easements

 

106

   

Conservation Rental Contracts

 

106

   

Safe Harbor Agreements

 

107

   

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

 

107

8

 

INVESTMENT LEVELS AND POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES

 

109

   

Introduction

 

109

   

Forest Investments

 

109

   

Investment Environments

 

110

   

Investment Climate

 

110

   

Landowner Investment Circumstances

 

111

   

Nonindustrial Private Owners

 

111

   

Industrial Owners

 

112

   

State and County Forests

 

113

   

Tribal Forests

 

114

   

Urban and Community Forests

 

116

   

Investment Issue Areas

 

117

   

Forestland Area

 

117

   

Timber Inventory

 

118

   

Nonindustrial Private Forests

 

118

   

Industrial Timberlands

 

118

   

Nonfederal Public Forests

 

119

   

Timber Management

 

119

   

Private Investments

 

121

   

Scale of Private Investments

 

121

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×
   

Capital and Rates of Return

 

121

   

Regulatory Effects

 

122

   

Public Investments

 

122

   

Federal Investments

 

123

   

State and Municipal Investments

 

124

   

Scale of Public Investments

 

124

   

Infrastructure Investments

 

125

   

Incidence of Investments

 

125

   

Potential Strategies

 

126

   

Remedies for Investment Disadvantages

 

126

   

Sources of Capital for Investments

 

127

   

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

 

127

9

 

INVESTING IN RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

 

133

   

Introduction

 

133

   

Research and Development

 

133

   

Quantity and Quality of Research

 

134

   

Organization and Management of Research

 

135

   

Planning and Focus of Research

 

135

   

Information and Technology Transfer

 

136

   

Monitoring and Information Management

 

137

   

Assessment and Monitoring

 

137

   

Information Management

 

138

   

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

 

139

10

 

RESOURCE-OWNER RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO INVEST

 

141

   

Introduction

 

141

   

Historic Dimension

 

141

   

Responsible Stewardship

 

142

   

Private Property Rights and Societal Action

 

143

   

Native American Perspectives on Property and Sovereignty

 

146

   

Balancing Rights and Responsibilities

 

149

   

Summary of Findings and Recommendations

 

154

11

 

INVESTING IN GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS

 

156

   

Introduction

 

156

   

Global Considerations

 

156

   

International Accords

 

158

   

Environmental Agreements

 

158

   

Trade Agreements

 

158

   

International Issues Affecting Nonfederal Forests

 

160

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×
Page xvii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
×

Figures and Boxes

Figure 2-1

 

Nonfederal forestland ownership in the United States by region (designated by different patterns), percentage of total forestland owned by nonfederal forestland owners, and percentage change in forestland acreage between 1987 and 1992 (increase and decrease indicated by arrows)

 

26

Figure 3-1

 

Economic characteristics of wood-based industries in the United States

 

33

Figure 8-1

 

Landowners' reasons for owning forestland (% of landowners)

 

111

Box 1-1

 

Definitions of Sustainability, Sustainable Management, and Sustainable Development

 

17

Box 1-2

 

Principles of Forest Resource Sustainability: Two Perspectives

 

18

Box 3-1

 

Wildcrafting Uses of Forest Resources

 

37

Box 3-2

 

Urban and Community Forest Values: Tree Canopies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

38

Box 4-1

 

Federal Agencies Involved in the Administration of Programs with Implications for Nonfederal Forests

 

43

Box 5-1

 

Condition of the Nation's Forests: Perspective of the USDA Forest Service

 

58

Box 5-2

 

Definitions of Biodiversity

 

59

Box 5-3

 

Definitions of Ecosystem Management

 

62

Box 5-4

 

Watersheds: Measures of Their Integrity

 

71

Box 6-1

 

Key Issues Identified at the Congressional Research Service Symposia, March 1994

 

78

Box 6-2

 

Minnesota Institutions for Cooperative Engagement of Interests in the Development and Implementation of Major Forest-Resource Policies and Programs

 

87

Box 7-1

 

Most to Least Commonly Used State Programs to Influence Private Forestry Practices, 1992

 

92

Box 8-1

 

Innovative Programs Involving the Use and Management of Stateor County-Owned Forestlands

 

115

Box 8-2

 

Michigan's Long-Term Bonding Program: A Creative Approach to Investing in Public Nonfederal Forests

 

128

Box 8-3

 

Norway's Forest Trust Fund: A Creative Approach to Investing in Nonindustrial Private Forests

 

129

Page xviii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Box 8-4

 

Oregon's Forest Resource Trust: A Creative Approach to Investing in Nonindustrial Private Forests

 

130

Box 10-1

 

Landowner Rights and Responsibilities: A Range of Elements

 

144

Box 10-2

 

Private Property Responsibility Initiative by the National Woodland Owners Association

 

146

Box 10-3

 

State Property-Rights Laws

 

151

Box 11-1

 

Selected Principles for the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of the World's Forests

 

159

Box Appendix C-1

 

National Forest Health Monitoring Program (NFHMP)

 

207

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Forested Landscapes in Perspective

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1998. Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5492.
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The federal role in the management of nonfederal U.S. forests was once relatively simple: to assist in the prevention and control of wildfires. The administrative structure to carry out this role was similarly uncomplicated, with most programs under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent years, however, both the management and administrative landscapes have changed dramatically. Responsibility for the federal role in nonfederal forests has been expanded to include a number of cabinet departments and independent agencies, which must address critical issues such as reforestation, wetlands disruption, and biodiversity protection. With two-thirds of all U.S. forests on nonfederal lands, these issues are becoming increasingly more important. Now, a first-of-its-kind examination of the federal role in nonfederal forest management, Forested Landscapes in Perspective presents a comprehensive look at the current landscape and recommends improvements that best serve public and private interests. This timely volume includes an insightful description of the current situation and recent trends, followed by a thorough examination of major policy and program issues affecting nonfederal forests. Among these are emerging environmental concerns such as forest fragmentation and large-scale climate change, as well as issues of economic importance, such as the availability of timber supplies.

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